Echinacea plant named ‘Whites331’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea plant named ‘Whites331’, characterized by its broadly upright plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; strong flowering stems; numerous large single-type inflorescences with greenish white-colored ray florets and dark yellow orange-colored receptacle spines; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Echinacea purpurea.

Cultivar denomination: ‘WHITES331’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea plant, botanically known as Echinacea purpurea, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Whites331’.

The new Echinacea plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new freely branching and relatively compact Echinacea plants with unique and attractive ray floret coloration.

The new Echinacea plant originated from an open-pollination in July, 2014 in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands of a proprietary selection of Echinacea purpurea identified as code number 2013-07, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Echinacea purpurea as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Echinacea plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination grown in a controlled greenhouse environment in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands in July, 2015.

Asexual reproduction of the new Echinacea plant by in vitro meristem culture in a controlled environment in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands since June, 2016 has shown that the unique features of this new Echinacea plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Echinacea have been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Whites331’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Whites331’ as a new and distinct Echinacea plant:

-   -   1. Broadly upright plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Strong flowering stems.     -   5. Numerous large single-type inflorescences with greenish         white-colored ray florets and dark yellow orange-colored         receptacle spines.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Echinacea can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Echinacea differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Echinacea are have larger inflorescences         than plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Ray florets of plants of the new Echinacea are more white in         color than ray florets of plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Echinacea can be compared to plants of Echinacea purpurea ‘Avalanche’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,597. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Echinacea differ primarily from plants of ‘Avalanche’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Flowering stems of plants of the new Echinacea are stronger         than flowering stems of plants of ‘Avalanche’.     -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Echinacea are brighter green in         color than leaves of plants of ‘Avalanche’.     -   3. Plants of the new Echinacea have larger inflorescences than         plants of ‘Avalanche’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Echinacea plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Echinacea plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Whites331’ grown in a ground bed in an outdoor nursery and placed in a container for the photograph.

The photographs on the second sheet are close-up views of typical inflorescences (lower photograph) and the upper surface of typical leaves (upper photograph) of ‘Whites331’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the summer in ground beds in an outdoor nursery in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typically used in commercial Echinacea production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 30° C. and night temperatures ranged from 6° C. to 18° C. Plants were six months old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Echinacea purpurea ‘Whites331’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary selection of Echinacea purpurea             identified as code number 2013-07, not patented.         -   Male parent.—Unknown selection of Echinacea purpurea, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By in vitro meristem culture.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About one week at             temperatures about 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About five             weeks at temperatures about 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; typically pale cream in             color, actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate             composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation,             substrate temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; broadly             upright plant habit, narrow inverted triangle; freely             branching habit with about twelve lateral branches             developing per primary branch; moderately vigorous growth             habit; moderate growth rate.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 45.6             cm.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of floral plane.—About 60.5             cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 36.5 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 21.3 cm. Diameter: About             4 mm. Internode length: About 4.1 cm. Aspect: About 12.5°             from vertical. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture and             luster: Moderately pubescent; moderately glossy. Color:             Close to 144A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Basal leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About             17.7 cm. Width: About 6.6 cm. Shape: Narrowly ovate. Apex:             Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Coarsely to shallowly             dentate. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces:             Moderately pubescent, strigose, rough, slightly rugose;             slightly glossy. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color:             Developing leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 143A.             Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to NN137A;             venation, close to 144A to 144B. Fully expanded leaves,             lower surface: Close to NN137C to NN137D; venation, close to             144A. Petioles, basal leaves: Length: About 7.8 cm. Width:             About 2.5 mm. Height: About 3 mm. Strength: Strong,             flexible. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous; glossy. Color, upper and lower surfaces:             Close to 144A.         -   Cauline leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 10.9 cm. Width: About 3 cm. Shape: Narrowly ovate.             Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Coarsely to shallowly             dentate. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces:             Moderately pubescent, strigose; slightly glossy. Venation             pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing leaves, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 143A. Fully expanded leaves, upper             surface: Close to NN137A; venation, close to 144A to 144B.             Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to NN137C to             NN137D; venation, close to 144A. Petioles, cauline leaves:             Length: About 1.5 cm. Width: About 1.5 mm. Height: About             2 mm. Strength: Strong, flexible. Texture and luster, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; glossy. Color, upper             and lower surfaces: Close to 144A. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Large single-type inflorescences with ray and             disc florets arranged on a capitulum; inflorescences             positioned upright above the foliar plane on strong             peduncles.         -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit with about 36             inflorescences developing per plant during the flowering             season.         -   Fragrance.—Slightly fragrant, slightly acidic and pleasant.         -   Time to flower.—Plants begin flowering about 100 days after             planting; in the garden, plants flower continuously during             the summer in The Netherlands.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good             substance for about two weeks on the plant; inflorescences             not persistent.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 2.6 cm. Diameter: About             2.4 cm. Shape: Flattened globular. Texture and luster:             Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color: Involucral bracts, close to             143A; developing ray florets, close to 145B.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 11.1 cm. Depth (height):             About 4.1 cm. Disc diameter: About 4 cm.         -   Receptacles.—Height: About 1.6 cm. Diameter: About 1.3 cm.             Color: Close to 155A.         -   Ray florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About 20 arranged in             a single whorl. Length: About 5 cm. Width: About 1.4 cm.             Shape: Oblanceolate. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Cuneate.             Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper surface: Smooth,             glabrous, moderately velvety; matte. Texture and luster,             lower surface: Smooth, glabrous, slightly velvety; slightly             glossy. Aspect: Slightly upright, about 30° above             horizontal. Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces:             Close to 157C; towards the apex, close to 10A. Fully opened,             upper surface: Close to 157B; venation, close to 157B; color             does not change with development. Fully opened, lower             surface: Close to 150D; venation, close to 150D; color does             not change with development.         -   Disc florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About 400 per             inflorescence, arranged spirally at the center of the             receptacle. Length: About 1.1 cm. Diameter: About 3.5 mm.             Shape: Tubular; proximally, 17.5% free, not fused. Apex:             Acute. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire. Aspect: Mostly upright.             Texture and luster, inner and outer surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous; glossy. Color, when opening, inner and outer             surfaces: Apex: Close to 144A. Mid-section and base: Close             to 144B. Color, fully opened, inner and outer surfaces:             Apex: Close to 144A. Mid-section and base: Close to 144B.         -   Receptacle spines.—Quantity: One per disc floret. Length:             About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Shape: Acicular. Apex:             Narrowly acute. Base: Cuneate. Texture and luster: Smooth,             glabrous; glossy. Color: Apex: Close to 23A. Mid-section:             Close to 144B. Base: Close to 145D.         -   Involucral bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 80             arranged in about four whorls. Length: About 1 cm. Width:             About 3 mm. Shape: Narrowly ovate. Apex: Acute. Base:             Cuneate. Margin: Entire; moderately pubescent. Texture and             luster, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy.             Texture and luster, lower surface: Moderately pubescent;             slightly glossy. Color, upper surface: Close to 143B. Color,             lower surface: Close to 143C.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 13.1 cm.             Diameter, terminal peduncle: About 5 mm. Strength: Strong.             Aspect, terminal peduncle: Upright. Texture and luster:             Sparsely to moderately pubescent; moderately glossy. Color:             Close to 146B with random spots, close to 144B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium (present only on disc             florets): Quantity per floret: Five. Filament length: About             3 mm. Filament color: Close to 145D. Anther length: About             3 mm. Anther width: About 0.5 mm. Anther shape: Narrowly             oblong. Anther color: Close to 203C. Pollen amount:             Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 23A. Gynoecium (present             only on disc florets): Quantity per floret: One. Pistil             length: About 7 mm. Style length: About 6 mm. Style color:             Close to 151B. Stigma diameter: About 3.5 mm. Stigma shape:             Decurrent, cleft. Stigma color: Close to 151B. Ovary color:             Close to 145D. Seeds and fruits: Seed and fruit development             have not been observed on plants of the new Echinacea to             date. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Echinacea have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Echinacea     plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Echinacea have exhibited good     garden performance and to tolerate rain and wind. Plants of the new     Echinacea have been observed to tolerate high temperatures of about     35° C. and to be suitable for USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 10. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Echinacea plant named ‘Whites331’ as illustrated and described. 